SAN RAFAEL, Calif., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Design Methods for World-Famous Building Exteriors Will Be Integrated, from Design to Manufacture

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ:
ADSK), a world leader in design and engineering software, and
Permasteelisa S.p.A., (MILAN STOCK EXCHANGE: PMS) will combine the use of both Autodesk architectural and manufacturing
3D design software and services throughout the global Permasteelisa curtain wall creation process. By integrating this combination of Autodesk technologies into its design and business system, Permasteelisa, a leading operator in design, construction and installation of architectural envelopes, can improve its ability to react to customer demand, as well as focus on increased quality of product and service.

"As the scale and complexity of Permasteelisa projects increase, it is vital that we improve our internal design and business system to consolidate our competitive advantage," said Bert van de Linde, Permasteelisa senior vice president in charge of R&D and managing director Europe, Middle-East. "We are very satisfied to partner with Autodesk as this combination of software and know-how will help us to achieve greater cost efficiency and speed time-to-market in our worldwide business."

The new Permasteelisa Moving Forward system (code-named PMF) is expected to accelerate the company's ability to react to customers from initial inquiry to final installation. The objective is to provide a unified global information system that will further accentuate Permasteelisa's industry-leading position by providing tools to create innovative products used in the world's most challenging architectural projects.

To streamline the flow of digital assets through the organization, Permasteelisa will install the PMF system, which is a custom suite developed together with Autodesk using Autodesk software, including
Autodesk Inventor, the Autodesk Revit platform for
building information modeling (BIM), and
AutoCAD Mechanical. This new design platform will serve 5,000 users in 50 global locations and enable users at up to five sites to work simultaneously on the same project. Autodesk Consulting is further supporting the integration of these design technologies worldwide.

"Competitive differentiation is especially relevant given current economic conditions," said Karsten Popp, Autodesk senior vice president of Worldwide Channels, Sales Operations and Field Marketing. "Autodesk has a unique ability to bring the latest architecture and manufacturing design software and consulting services together for Permasteelisa, to promote more efficient design processes, support faster time to market and increase product quality."

As an example of how the initiative will work, Permasteelisa can design a new curtain wall based on 3D models created in Revit, and then transfer the data to other teams working on materials and manufacturing to create a single 3D digital model in Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD Mechanical software.

About Permasteelisa

The Permasteelisa Group is one of the world's leading operators in the design, construction and installation of architectural envelopes. Active on four continents, with a network of 50 companies in 26 nations, the Permasteelisa Group provides solutions with a high-technological content and works closely with the leading names in contemporary architecture. Decentralized production and project management enables Permasteelisa to be effective locally, while maintaining high quality standards in all markets. Via four research centers and collaboration with the most prestigious international universities and institutes, Permasteelisa promotes the development and application of innovative eco-compatible technologies that ensure significant levels of energy saving and improve the quality of internal environments. The many hundreds of major architectural works completed by Permasteelisa, or under construction around the world, include the Sydney Opera House; the Canary Wharf development in London; the Guggenheim in Bilbao; the airports serving Hong Kong (interior fittings), Bangkok and Singapore; the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles; and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and
3D design software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of
AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art
Digital Prototyping solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real. Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize, simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional information about Autodesk, visit
www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, Inventor and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliatesin the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.